Safe and Sound
by EvelinK
Summary: When core-tech team gets lost in a desert, they meet Leo, a guy who seems to know nothing about Monsunos and falls in love with Jinja. Everything goes perfectly until Dax finds out something about their new friend. Join the team in an adventurous love story that will surprise you constantly! I do not own any Monsuno characters!
1. The guy in the desert

CHAPTER ONE: THE GUY IN THE DESERT

"Hmm guys…I think we're lost." Bren said tapping furiously on his Core Tablet

"Well, thank you Captain Obvious!" Jinja said irritated

The Core-Tech team was walking on Sunheats' desert and all they could see was more and more sand. The suns' rays were getting hotter and hotter by each passing minute. You could easily fry an egg if you simply put it over a rock

"Veg out, Princess" Dax said

"Could you please talk in plain English? I can never understand what you want to say!" Jinja let her internal volcano of anger and frustration explode

"Guys! Let's just try to get along. I know we are all tired but we must continue until we find somewhere we can stay in." Chase said

"Um, Chase. I think you need to see this." Beyal said with his soft voice

When Chase turned around he saw a guy about 16-17 years old. He was tall and he was wearing black jeans and a grey jacket with a hoodie, but you could see his black hair. He was walking slowly with his hands in his jackets' pockets and his head down.

"Do you think he has seen us?" Jinja whispered

"Let's find out" Chase said while rubbing his hands. He was about to run towards him when he felt something holding his shoulder back. It was Beyal.

"I am not sure Chase Suno. What if he is dangerous?"

"He can help us find a way out of here. Besides, we are five and he is all alone" Chase tried to convince Beyal. And he did. He ran towards the young boy and the others followed him.

"Hi!" Chase said a bit nervously. The boy raised his head but you could nearly see his face.

"Oh, hello" the guy replied. He had a lightly British accent.

"I am Chase Suno. This is Bren, Jinja, Beyal and Dax" Chase said, pointing to each of his friends. The boy pulled his hoodie down and his face was finally shown. He had big golden eyes and a sweet smile.

"I am Leo. So, what are you 5 doing in Sunheat's dessert?"

"We were hoping you'd know if there's any village or city nearby" Jinja said.

"There's a seaside city a few miles from here. You can come and rest to my place" Leo said cheerfully.

Chase opened his mouth, obviously to agree, but Jinja stopped him.

"I don't know Chase. Shall we trust a guy that we just now met?" Jinja said almost whispering but it was loud enough for Leo to hear. He went near to Jinja and put his arm around her saying:

"Oh, don't worry…Jinja-right? You can rent a room in a motel but it's the nastiest place ever! Besides, you'll need some rest so you can continue with your trip. Am I right?"

Jinja blushed. She put her head down and agreed. Dax was looking at the scene, full of jealousy…


	2. Leo's house

CHAPTER TWO: LEO'S HOUSE

JINJA POV

After a couple of minutes, we arrived at a city next to a beach. Leo's house was a few meters away from the waves. Beyal was very impressed, since he had never seen a beach before. He ran on the golden sand and splattered in the water. He looked like a seven year old boy!

"Here we are!" Leo said and showed us a big room. It had three beds, a TV and a little balcony. It wasn't anything special but much better than sleeping on the ground…

"Do you mind if we had a bath?" Chase asked

"Not at all. There are towels in the bathroom." Leo said pointing to a door at the corner of the room.

I went out to the balcony. I would be the last one getting into the bathroom anyway. I hated being the only girl in the group.

I was staring at the sky thinking this monster craziness, when I heard footsteps behind me. A few weeks ago I would want to be Beyal's with all my heart, but now I wasn't so sure if I really liked him. I mean, he was nice and cute, but I considered him as my little brother. Definitely NOT my boyfriend. However, he was the only one with whom I could talk seriously with, so a little chat would do me good. I turned around.

But it wasn't him, it was Leo. He stood behind me.

"Do you mind if I join you?" he asked politely.

"Oh. No. Come…"

I was wondering if he had noticed the disappointed look on my face.

"You were expecting someone else, didn't you?" he asked, like he was reading my mind. I nodded sadly.

"Let me guess…the white haired one."

I frowned. Was it that obvious? He smiled and put his hand over my shoulder.

"Don't worry," he said softly "I'm sure you deserve better. You know what they say: Amor animi arbitrio sumitur, non ponitur."

I frowned-again. I remember our professor teaching us that phrase in latin class. It meant: We choose to love; we don't choose to cease loving. My eyes lit up.

"You know latin?!" I said while smiling

"A little bit. There aren't many teachers here, but latin is my favorite language."

"Mine too!" I said excited. "But you are wrong"

"Wrong?"

"Yeah. I don't love him. At least not now…"

I turned and looked at him. He was looking at the sky. It was like he was searching something deep deep in the clouds.

"So… what other things do you like?" I asked.

NORMAL POV

After all of them had a bath, Leo said that they could stay as much as they wanted. He also told them to get down to the dining room at 8 am for breakfast. Chase and Bren weren't excited with the idea of getting up so early, but they didn't want to be rude.

After a few minutes you could hear their sneering…


	3. Surfing

CHAPTER THREE: SURFING

The group lost no time and, after the breakfast, they went to the beach. Chase and Beyal were making sand sculptures; Bren was sunbathing to get rid of his milky skin color, while Leo, Dax and Jinja were wearing their wetsuits, ready to master some waves.

Bren was ready to fall asleep and Chase thought it would be a nice opportunity for a prank. He launched his Monsuno. At a blink of an eye his huge polar bear-like Monsuno appeared, making a sandstorm.

"Lock, go to Bren" Chase commanded

The Monsuno run next to Bren with his snout only a few cm away from his face.

Bren, annoyed, moved his hand from side to side

"Chase would you mind moving a little? You are making shade!"

Suddenly, his hand stopped in something fury. He opened his eyes "What the… Aaah! Help!"

Chase and Beyal were laughing so hard that they ended up rolling in the sand.

Bren folded his arms

"Hey! It's not funny! Can you now take this… thing away?"

On the other side of the beach, Leo was surfing with ease. Jinja was excited and impressed with the new sport.

"My turn now!" she stated

Jinja learned something as soon as she saw it, no matter if that was English, Geometry or surfing.

She balanced easily on her board and made many tricks such as cutbacks, floaters, bottom turns and others.

She went out of the sea full of proudness for her achievements.

"Hmm…you ain't bad but no good either" Dax said

Jinja put her hand in her hip

"Oh, so you think you're better?"

"Maybe" Dax challenged her

"Are you ready to go toe-to-toe with me, Lowlander?"

"Let's do this"

The two teens stood by the sea, ready to catch some waves.

Leo would be the referee "So, you know the rules. The one who tries 21 waves first, wins."

The air was now blowing hard. The waves looked huge, but none of the stubborn teens were scared.

"Ready?" Leo asked

Jinja and Dax looked at each other and whispered at the same time: "Absolutely"

"GO!" Leo cried

They both ran in the sea and caught a wave. After many waves, they were even. The one who was going to master another wave would win. Dax was trying to catch his breath when he saw Jinja heading over an enormous wave. She decidedly stepped on her board and surfed under it. The wave was faster though and covered her. A scream followed and Jinja was lost in the sea. Dax swam as fast as he could in the spot where he saw Jinja drown. He dived into the sea and caught her. He lifted her over his strong shoulder and drew her in the coast.

JINJA POV

We were even. Another wave and he would beat me. That shouldn't happen, I couldn't lose. I saw a wave and swam to it. Unfortunately, it was bigger than I thought. It hit me bad in the back and it pushed me under the sea. I couldn't breathe and then, everything turned black. That's all I could remember, before I was magically in the coast.

The boys were around me and helped me get up.

"Are you ok Jin?" Chase asked

"My back hurts a little but I'll be fine. How did I come here?" I asked

"After that wave crushed you, Dax dived into the sea and saved you" Leo said

I turned and looked at Dax

"Really?"

"Well yea, but don't get used to it Princess" he said without looking at me in the eyes

"I've got a first aid kit. Follow me" Leo said and pointed at my back.

I followed him until we arrived at a beautiful wooden gazebo with white curtains and fluffy pillows.

He applied some alcohol in my hurt back and helped me put a bandage.

"You know, you were pretty good out there" Leo said

"Do you really think so?"

"Yes! Have you ever surfed before?"

"No it was my first time."

"Well, it looks like you are a natural talent"

"I just watched your moves and memorized them"

"I wasn't talking about the moves" he told me with a serious look.

I got confused "What do you mean?"

"Surfing isn't only about the waves or the tricks" he explained "No one I know would ever try to surf through a wave as big as that. You are the bravest person I know!"

I blushed. It wasn't difficult for me to take up new adventures everywhere I went. Surfing this wave was a challenge to me, which I couldn't resist.

"I find your personality truly rare" he said hesitantly

"Well I find you a very interesting person, too" I told him and I blinked

"Then," he started "how about going on a date with me tonight?"

I smiled. I'd never thought that someone would ask me out on a date and especially someone like Leo!

"Yes! Yes I'd love to!"

"Great, so I'll pick you up at eight?"

"Sure!"

Suddenly I thought of something.

"Wait-I don't have anything good to wear on out date" I said, embarrassed.

Leo held his chin with his two fingers and thought "Hmm…"

He suddenly snapped his fingers "I have a dress that will look great on you! I will leave it on your bed, ok?"

"Ok, thanks"

"See you later" he said and left

NORMAL POV

Jinja returned to her friends with a HUGE smile on her face.

"Hey, what's with the big grin, Jin?" Chase asked

Jinja looked at them. They wore sunglasses.

"Hey! Did you buy these with my credit card?"

"Don't change the conversation Jinja!" Bren said, curious to hear what happened that made his friend feel so awkward

Jinja blushed. She stroked her auburn hair. "Leo… asked me out" she whispered

"What?!" the boys cried, except Dax. He was way too shocked to speak.

"Ha ha! Look who became a heartthrob! Well done, Jin!" Chase said while smiling

But Jinja didn't care about what Chase thought. She was waiting for Beyal to speak. He walked towards her, placed his palm on her shoulder and smiled to her.

"I'm very happy for you Jinja. I hope you have a pleasant night"

Jinja let a breath go that she didn't realize she held. Now that she knew that Beyal's heart wasn't broken she could really have fun on her date.

Two hours later the five teens went to their room. Jinja found a red box, tied with a white ribbon. When she finally managed to open it she faced a nice dress and one pair of shoes. Just then she heard slow footsteps. It was Beyal.

"This is what you are going to wear on your date?"

"Um, yeah I guess"

"Do you want me to help you get ready?"

Jinja was caught off guard. She definitely didn't expect that kind of reaction from Beyal. She couldn't help but smile at him.

"Sure!"


	4. The date

CHAPTER FOUR: THE DATE

"So, how do I look?" Jinja said hesitantly.

Chase, Bren and Dax were standing froze. Jinja was wearing a mini ice-blue dress which matched her eyes perfectly. She was wearing light make-up and a perfume that her mum had given her.

None of the boys-except Beyal- had anything to say and Jinja was waiting impatiently to see their reaction of her new look. After a couple of minutes, Chase broke the silence with a -not that clever- answer.

"Wow Jin, you look…tense!"

"I will agree with Chase on that one" Bren started saying "I've never seen you like this and I know you almost forever!"

Dax was standing still with his mouth open. His precious princess was about to meet the guy of her dreams and he might lose her for good. He was staying silence, lost in his thoughts.

Jinja was curious, though.

"Dax" she started saying before regretting it "what do you think?"

Dax opened his mouth to response but he held back. He was unsure of what he should say. One part of his mind told him to say that he thought she was beautiful, while the other part told him that this wasn't a fairy tale and that Jinja would never look at him on that way.

And he decided to go with the second part.

"Well I think you put too much make-up! You look much better without it. And how much perfume did you use? I almost faint!" he said, using the cockiest voice he could muster, in an effort to hide his true feelings.

Jinja's face turned red. She wasn't wearing almost any make-up and her perfume was very light. However, she was impressed on Dax's ability to insult her and compliment her at the same time.

She was ready to respond to his comments with a combination of insults, when Leo, who was entering the room, interrupted her. Her fierce, sassy attitude changed completely to a sweet, softer one.

Leo looked amazed at Jinja. Who would think that under these tomboy clothes there was a model figure like this?

"Here you are! Are you ready?" he asked politely

"Of course"

"Wait-are you wearing a perfume?"

Jinja frowned. Was what Dax said true?

"Yeah…Is it heavy?" she asked hesitantly

"No! It is light and exciting. It fits you" he said softly as he ran his hand through her auburn curls

Jinja wanted to look at Dax with an "I told you" face, but she was lost in Leo's golden eyes.

Daxe's eyes were popping flames. One more touch at his princess and he would punch him right in the face with no hesitation.

"Well, have fun on your date!" Chase said excited. Jinja was never with a guy and dating someone-no matter how weird it seemed- sounded like a good idea to him.

Jinja and Leo were getting downstairs without exchanging a single word.

"Where are we going?" she finally asked.

"It's a surprise" he whispered in her ear.

They went out of the house

"Close your eyes, but first, put your shoes off" he whispered gently. Jinja didn't know how, but Leo made her do every single thing he wanted.

After walking for a couple of minutes, Leo finally told her to open her eyes. She knew they were heading to the beach, she could feel the cold sand dancing in her feet and she could hear the soft, magical song of the waves.

When she opened her eyes she saw a small table and two chairs by the sea. A candle was put in the middle, and there was some food in two plates.

"Wow! You did that?" Jinja said surprised

Leo nodded and they sat down

They started talking. Jinja loved this guy more and more by each passing minute. His personality, his smile, his laugh…Everything seemed perfect about him! In addition, she liked the fact that she was staying away from this Monsno story…

However, Leo wanted to learn some things too. He asked her what a school looks like at her city, what subjects they learn etc.

While she was talking about her friends and how much she missed them she realized that Leo was staring at her, smiling.

"What?" she asked confused

"Oh…Nothing…I just can't take my eyes off you" he said in his British accent

"I'm not that pretty…"

"Of course you are! You have shiny long hair, incredible ice-blue eyes and the sweetest smile I've ever seen!"

Jinja's face turned red like a tomato.

"I bet you had millions of boys who fell for you in your school…" he said sadly

Jinja rubbed the back of her head awkwardly.

"You are wrong actually... No one had ever liked me…"

"Not even in your five-member group?"

"No"

"Oh, it didn't seem like it…"

Jinja was surprised. What did Leo mean? She was about to ask him, but she stopped herself. That kind of talk would be really awkward. She decided to change the subject instead.

"Did you have any girls who fell for you?" she asked

"No…This is actually my first date."

Leo had told her that the girls in his town were way too girly and shallow, but she definitely thought that at least one of them would have a crush on him.

"Let's take a walk, shall we?" he suggested

They walked by the waves. The moon was reflected in the calm sea and the stars were shining like diamonds in the sky.

Jinja was amazed by the shocking landscape. "It's beautiful"

"I'm standing next to something more beautiful" Leo whispered

Before letting her respond, he grabbed her waist and pulled her into a kiss.


	5. Disappointment

CHAPTER FIVE: DISAPPOINTMENT

DAX POV

_Before letting her respond, he grabbed her waist and pulled her into a kiss._

There they were. So close, together. I had to face the truth; Jinja wasn't in love with me… It was not fair though. In my opinion, perfect people shouldn't be with other perfect people.

I returned back to our room. I claimed that I wanted some air. It wasn't that hard to convince the rest of the group. They were stuck in that new video game Leo had given them.

"How was the walk?" Chase asked without looking at me- he wouldn't take his eyes from the screen no matter what happened. "Ya know-normal"

I collapsed in my bed exhausted and depressed. My eyelids were getting heavier and heavier…

JINJA POV

I closed the door and sighed. This was an incredible night. I saw Chase, Bren and Beyal (!) playing a video game. Dax was sleeping.

"So how was the date?" Chase asked, curious and excited as always

"Great! We went to the beach, then we ate, then we talked and then…"I suddenly stopped my sentence when I realized what I had to say.

"Then what?"

"Then…" it was impossible for me to complete the sentence.

"Oh! I get it. Then he kissed you, right Jin?" Chase asked with a big grin on his face

I blushed for a stupid reason, but I decided to stay cool "None of your business Chase"

"And now you are going to write it all in your girly diary, aren't you?" Bren mocked

I was expecting to face those comments, especially from Bren

"Continue, and this will be your last question"

Bren gulped. He knew that this was the time when he had to stop.

I wore my PJs and went to sleep. I remembered everything that happened tonight. The compliments, the kiss and that crazy feeling that someone was spying on me…


	6. The phone call

CHAPTER SIX: THE PHONE CALL

It was early when Dax woke up. He felt a big weight in his chest when he remembered everything that had happened last night. He walked out of the room and went downstairs. Much to his surprise Leo had woken up. He was talking with someone on the phone. He decided to hide behind the stairs to hear the conversation.

"Yes, I will talk to Jinja today. She is so naïve! Don't worry ; you will have her and her cores in your headquarters in no time."

Dax was greatly shocked. Leo didn't only know about Monsunos but he cooperated with too! He used Jinja! Dax knew there was something wrong with this guy! He had to handle the issue well, though.

Dax cleared his throat loudly and took Leo's attention "G'day, mate!"

"I'll call you later" Leo said quickly and hanged up

"Who was it?" Dax asked calmly

Leo's face turned white like a paper. He was sweaty and nervous.

"It was…my…my grandma! Yes! She called me to ask me if I wanted something."

"She called ya so early?" Dax asked with narrowed eyes

"Yes, she wakes up early t-to m-make me pies. Why are you woken up?"

"Well, I slept early yesterday. Right after you left for your date. " Dax lied

"Oh, okay then."

"Where was your date?"

"At the beach"

"Did ya eat?"

"Yes, we did."

"I hope ya didn't give her meat, she's a vegetarian."

Leo was speechless at Dax's interest "Ummm…"

"Did she like the date? Did ya behave like a gentleman? Did ya drink cola?"

"Why are you so worried anyway?"

"Look, Leo" Dax said with a disgusting look when he mentioned Leo's name "you better take good care of Jinja, or I swear I…"

"Or what? You are going to beat me up? And what will Jinja say about it, huh? She will just hate you more. I can do whatever I want! And do you want to know why?"

The tall boys met face to face.

"Because I was the one who was kissing her last night"

The realization that someone like Leo had taken his Princess away filled every piece of Dax's body with anger. Before realizing it he raised his fist in the air and-

"OH MY GOD! WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?" Jinja cried

She descended the stairs and split the two teenagers.

"Why are ya here?" Dax asked

"The boys said you looked upset last night and they told me to check if you were ok!" Jinja said. She turned to Leo "What happened?"

"I don't know sweetheart. He called me an idiot and then he tried to punch me…" Leo said with the most innocent voice he could muster.

Jinja's face turned red from the anger she felt "Dax! What on crag is wrong with you?"

"Don't believe him! Please, Princess…"

"Don't call me like that! And you better change your attitude or do not dare to talk to me again!" Jinja cried

Leo held her hand "Come on Jinja, don't worry. He is probably jealous."

"Jealous? Ok, that's it…" Dax said, ready to attack.

Jinja stopped him "DAX! Enough! Leo, let's go"

Before they walked away, Leo looked at Dax with a victory smile.

"I'm sorry for his attitude. I don't know what is wrong with him…" Jinja said

He smiled gently "It's ok sweetheart, it's not your fault"

He leaned and kissed her. However, he made sure he'd do that by the window, for a specific pair of dark brown eyes to see…


	7. Evil plans

CHAPTER SEVEN: EVIL PLANS

Klipse was sitting in a large couch at his headquarters. Hargrave was standing behind him, making him tea. A picture of Jinja was shown on the big screen at the end of the room.

"So sir, why do you want the girl especially? I thought that Chase Suno was the troublemaker you wanted to get out of the way."

"Indeed! But after I mixed man's DNA with Monsuno's DNA, I want to see if the results of mixing women's DNA with Monsuno's DNA will be successful as well."

"You are a true genius, sir. But the girl is very clever isn't she?"

"Well Hargrave there are two things women just can resist. First, is shopping."

"Sir, I don't think that the girl is interested in shopping. She is quite aggressive and a tomboy."

"Exactly! That's why I will base to the second thing women can't resist. Cute boys!"

Hargrave served the hot tea to his master, and have him a puzzled look. Moreover, it was pretty funny for a villain like Klipse to talk about cute boys.

He rushed to explain "Remember that boy we found lost in the desert?"

Hargrave seemed to understand "Of course! His name was Leo! He promised you eternal faith!"

"I commanded him to fool the girl and head her to our headquarters."

"And did he agree?"

"He insisted at first, but after he saw her, he just couldn't resist in her wild beauty! After I'm done with him, I will turn him into a Monsuno as well. Of course he thinks I'm going to reward him with a Monsuno essence"

"What a fool!"

"Too bad things will get a little… twisted! Mwa hahahahaha…"

And with that, the room was filled with Klipses' evil laugh…


	8. Everything is not what it seems

CHAPTER EIGHT: EVERYTHING IS NOT WHAT IT SEEMS

Jinja had just returned from her walk with Leo. She felt incredible. Leo was so nice to her that she almost forgot what happened that morning. She walked towards her bed. Her new boyfriend had asked her to meet his parents tonight and she didn't want to look tired. She was ready to collapse in the clean sheet when she saw a note in her pillow:

Meet me at five in the beach's pier

Let's talk this out

~Dax

Jinja felt satisfied. Dax had understood his mistake and he wanted some forgiveness. She went out and headed to the beach.

No one was at the beach. Some gulls were flying next to the beach's gazebo, where someone had left a piece of bread. She spotted the pier and run to it. Dax was standing in the edge; his sight was lost in the sea and his dreads were being pushed away from the wind.

"Hey" she said hesitantly

"Oh, hi" he replied

"So…"

"I asked you to come here so I can explain why I said these things in the morning…"

"Ok, I'm listening"

Dax took a deep breath.

"Leo is cooperating with . I heard him today telling that he will get your Monsunos tonight!"

Jinja bit her lips to hold herself from laughing.

"Firstly, I don't think that Leo even knows about Monsunos and secondly, if he knew, he couldn't get my Monsunos because tonight I'm meeting his parents"

"Can't you see it? It's obviously a trap! He is getting you in Klipse's headquarters!"

"Oh come on Dax" she said while rolling her eyes

"What do you mean?"

"I can't believe that you made up a story like that!"

"I didn't make it up! You just can't face the truth because you are too busy kissing Leo!"

"Wait, how do you know that we kissed?"

"Except from the fact that I saw it with my own eyes last night, Leo was proud enough to tell me!"

Jinja's laughter was now replaced by frustration

"You spied on me? On my date?" Jinja now understood why she felt like someone was following her last night "And how you dare telling lies about Leo! Are you that jealous of him?"

"Why should I be jealous? 'Cause he's pretending to be your little boyfriend?"

Jinja frowned "Why does he have to be pretending?" she asked, but her voice faded. Tears were burning her eyes and closed her throat.

"Princess, I didn't mean it that way…"

"Don't call me like that! I thought I would come here so you could ask for forgiveness but all I see is your hideous cocky self! I hate you!"

These words pulled Dax's heartstrings. Jinja ran away. She didn't want Dax to see her cry, he didn't deserve it. She hid behind a tree. Her knees buckled and tears trickled down her cheeks.

Dax was standing meters away from her.

"Crag! Look what you've done, you dill!" he said to himself and kicked a rock with all his power. Not only did he hurt his princess, but also they would all fall hostage to …


	9. Secret thoughts

CHAPTER NINE: SECRET THOUGHTS

JINJA POV

I hid behind a tree and I started to cry and cry and cry…

How could he say something like this to me?

I shouldn't even care.

But for some strange reason I do.

Every time he told me that he didn't like something on me, I cared, and I still do.

A crazy thought passed through my mind.

Am I in love with DAX? No way!

He has this awful cocky attitude!

He is such an egoist! He always thinks he is better than anyone!

He kept calling us with these annoying and insulting nicknames!

But…

He is so big and strong. I feel so safe every time I'm fighting next to him…

He is has an exotic beauty. His dark skin matches with his perfect dark brown eyes…

He is so magically mysterious. I felt the luckiest girl in the world when he told me about his past…

He is so brave. He is ready to fight for us in order to protect us…

He has so much energy. When I'm close to him I feel so alive…

No. I am definitely not in love with Dax.


	10. Lullaby

CHAPTER TEN: LULLABY

Jinja straightened her black leather trousers for a last time.

"Do I look good?" she asked

"You look perfect, as always" Leo confirmed her and kissed her gently

They were standing in front of a huge metallic door. Jinja was ready to meet Leo's parents, but she just couldn't get Dax out of her mind.

Leo opened the door and a huge room appeared in front of them. The room had brick walls, marble linings inside, amazing mosaics made up of tiny cubes of black and red colored glass and massive marble pillars. Of all its fascinating features though, perhaps the most remarkable was a large screen- it looked like a mirror with a red crystal frame.

Jinja was staring with awe. "Wow. Your parents have a strange taste in decoration. So, when do I meet them?"

A deep familiar voice was heard from the corner of the room "Oh, you don't"

Jinja saw a dark shadow walking towards her.

"Klipse?"

"Nice to meet you again, Jinja"

"How…how did you find me?"

"Your friend over here was very cooperative" Klipse said and pointed at Leo

"Leo? You knew about this? I can't believe it! You're a betrayal!" Jinja cried

She reached for her core.

"Hargrave, now!" Klipse commanded. His sick-pale skinned butler pulled a rope with his left robot-hand. Jinja was trapped in a net and she dropped her core.

"What are you doing?" Jinja screamed "Let me go!"

She pulled the strings with all her power but she couldn't release herself. She looked at the walls. Maybe if she found anything sharp on them she could cut the net, like she did when Dom Pyro trapped her and the rest of the group. Just then she heard a loud clash at the door.

"Change of plans, evil freak!"

She could recognize that accent from everywhere.

"Dax! You're here!" Jinja cried gratefully "Help me!"

"Hang on Princess!" Dax said as he saw Leo heading towards him

"If you want to save her, you've got to pass from me, first" Leo said with all the confidence he had

Dax looked at him and raised his shoulders "Okay"

Then, he raised his fist and punched Leo with all his power. He grinned widely "I SO loved doing that!"

"Prince charming is here to rescue the girl?" Klipse said and laughed evilly.

"Here's the deal, Doctor. If I win I'll get Jinja and leave. If you win you can turn me into a half-Monsuno with your toxic acid and you'll leave her alone forever"

Jinja was shocked "Dax? Are you out of your mind?"

Klipse looked skeptical.

"Sir, I know you wanted the girl for your second experiment, but the boy would be great too. He opened the door with a single kick. If he is that strong, imagine how he could be as a Monsuno!" Hargrave advised his master

"Hmm…" Klipse murmured "Yes…I guess you're right…"

"Deal?" Dax asked

"Deal!" Klipse said with a sure smile formed on his face

Dax reached for a core and so did Klipse

"Boost, launch!"

"Backslash, launch!"

The two cores touched each other and a mix of red and blue flames lightened the room. Leo was starting to regain consciousness, but he was standing speechless in front of the two creatures.

"Backslash, Shock Shriek!"

"Boost, Tracer Assault!"

For the next few minutes Backslash was sending powerful attacks to Boost, and Boost with his high speed avoided it. Both Monsunos were losing power.

"Hargrave, what are you looking at, you fool? Help me!" Klipse snarled

"Yes, sir. Shadowhornet, launch!"

"Hey, that's not fair!" Dax claimed "Airswitch, launch!"

"Shadowhornet, Evil Extension!"

"Airswitch, distract Shadowhornet!"

The bird-like Monsuno wrapped his arms and feet around Shadowhornet's body

"Now Boost, Turbo Strike!"

Boost's attack was so strong that Shadowhornet went back to his core. Dax was smiling for his smart plan. Meanwhile Jinja was trying to find a way out. She was about to give up when she remembered that she kept a rasp in her boot. It was very small and thin but she would manage to free herself in a few minutes. Klipse was groaning from anger.

"That's enough!" he shouted "Backslash, destroy the boy!"

Backslash run to Dax and threw him to the ground. Dax was trying to pull the Monsuno away. It raised its hand and gave Dax a serious cut on his chest.

"No!" Jinja cried desperately

Klipse was laughing evilly. He ordered Backslash to return to his core, his time was up anyway.

Dax's Monsunos returned to their cores as well, their time ran out too.

At the exact moment, Jinja managed to cut the net. She fell on the ground with her head, which made her bleed. She picked up her core and shouted

"Charger, launch!"

Her Monsuno sensed that its master was upset, and it was ready for a fight. However, neither Klipse of Hargrave could launch their Monsunos. Before they could try to catch another core, Charger raised Klipse, Hargrave and Leo with its horns and stuck them on the wall.

"Hargrave, use your rotten robotic hands and do something!" Klipse commanded

"I'm sorry sir but both of them are broken" Hargrave replied

"I can't breathe!" Leo cried

Jinja's body was on fire. She was ready to command Charger to push them harder against the wall, when she remembered what Beyal had told her one day. 'It's easy to get revenge, but it's harder to forgive'. Millions of questions filled her head:_ What is the point in doing that? Why should I become a monster like them?_

She took a deep breath and looked at the ground

"Charger, let them go"

The three of them fell on the floor, weak, trying to catch their breaths.

"Now listen to me. Get out of here now or else I'm gonna tell Charger to rip you to pieces. Did you understand?"

They nodded furiously and left headquarters as fast as they could. Jinja ran to injured Dax.

"Dax, are you ok?" Jinja asked and held her breath.

"I'm fine Princess…" Dax shrugged

"Just stay here, OK?"

Jinja ran to the corner of the HQ, where it seemed to be Klipse's office and searched for something that would stop the bleeding on Dax's chest.

"Files, files, files…" she muttered to herself as she threw away packs of papers

"A first-aid kit!" she cried happily.

In the first-aid kid there were some bandages, cotton and alcohol. She took some cotton and applied alcohol on it.

She sat next to Dax and started rubbing it on his wound

"OUCH!" Dax cried

"You're such a big baby" Jinja mocked and started blowing over the wound to decrease tingling

Although Jinja tried her best to heal Dax's chest, the alcohol didn't seem to have much effect on his body. She knew that these could be Dax's last minutes.

"Dax, you'll be fine, just sleep."

"I can't, I'm…I'm…afraid"

Jinja was now terrified. The fact that Dax had just said something like this made her worries grow up.

"Princess?"

"Yes, Dax?"

"When I was young, my mum used to sing to me to help me sleep."

"Do you remember your mum?"

"No, I only remember her voice. Princess, c-could you sing to me?"

Jinja's heart stopped. If that was his last wish, she would make it true. She remembered a lullaby that her mother used to sing to her when she was a kid.

**(A/N:Here is the link of the lullaby on yotube: /watch?v=5t02YwUVwLk Listen to it while reading, it will help you understand the lullaby)**

"Deep in the meadow, under the willow

A bed of grass, a soft green pillow

Lay down your head and close your eyes

And when again they open, the sun will rise"

Jinja tried to swallow her tears which closed her throat.

"Here it's safe and here it's warm

Here the daisies guard you from every harm

Here your dreams are sweet and tomorrow brings them true

Here is the place where I love you…"

Now, Jinja couldn't help but let her tears fall down her face as she stroked his face…

"Deep in the meadow, hidden far away

A cloak of leaves, a moonbeam ray

Forget your woes and let your troubles lay

And when again it's morning they'll wash away

Here it's safe, here it's warm

Here the daisies guard you from every harm

Here your dreams are sweet and tomorrow brings them true

Here is the place where I love you…"

"Wow, Princess…You have a beautiful voice…"

"Thanks Dax"

"Princess…if I don't make it…"

Jinja held Dax's hand and shut his mouth with her finger

"Don't talk like that…you'll make it…I believe in you Dax"

A whirlwind of emotions filled her chest as she stared in those dark brown eyes. The eyes that she had fell in love with…

"I just wanted you to know that I would never let anyone hurt you… "

She kissed his cheek and laid her head on his chest, just above his heart "Don't worry, Dax. You and I will be safe and sound…"

Jinja heard his heartbeat getting weaker and weaker. She sang in an effort to keep him alive…

"Here is the place where I love you…"


	11. Uninvited visitor

CHAPTER ELEVEN: UNINVITED VISITOR

Jinja had fallen asleep on Dax's chest. Dax was unconscious most of the time. He woke up every one hour just for a moment, saw Jinja, smiled and then fell back asleep from his pain. The sun was rising up; a weak ray got through the half-open metallic door and lightened the two injured bodies.

Suddenly a loud noise was heard and Jinja woke up.

Commander Trey was standing on the door with a small group of Elites behind him. Obviously, STORM must have split up all over the city to find them.

"Oh great" Jinja exclaimed

She didn't have the time to worry about Bren, Chase and Beyal. Her mission was to keep Dax alive, even if she had to risk her life.

She looked at him quickly. He was still sleeping, exhausted and he probably couldn't walk on his own.

"Too bad we have to interrupt your private party, but we have orders to bring you to Miss Charlemagne"

Jinja got up quickly. It took her a couple of seconds to try to get rid of the terrible headache she had.

"Look, Trey, I'm not in a mood for your little games. I prefer to kick your butt right now"

Trey was amused by Jinja's guts and laughed

"Don't even think about it kid, you are outnumbered."

"That's for sure, since you are such a chicken that you are afraid to get beaten by a girl"

Jinja saw Trey's irritation and decided to continue with the insults

"Seriously now, I wonder why Charlemagne chose you to be a Commander."

Laughs were heard from the elite's group.

"Stop it, you idiots!" Trey commanded furiously

"I challenge you on a one-to-one fight, if you dare. Now tell all your men to leave, now!" Jinja said, sure for herself

Trey knew that if he didn't accept her challenge, his men would think he's a chicken. Ego took better of him.

"Fine!" Trey cried "Elites, out!"

"Yes, sir!" the group cried and left headquarters

"Whipper, launch!"

"Riccoshot, launch!"

In Jinja's side you could see a frilled lizard-Monsuno, whereas on Trey's side you could see a huge bug-like Monsuno.

"Riccoshot, Seismic Charge!"

The giant Monsuno was ready to charge an attack to Whipper

"Whipper, avoid the attack!"

As it was told to do, the Monsuno avoided the attack by climbing on the ceiling

"Whipper, Sonic Blast!"

The big bug wasn't as fast as Jinja's Monsuno and it got injured right on his heart. This made it return to his Core.

Commander Trey was ready to launch another Monsuno, but Jinja didn't have the energy neither the power to fight.

"Whipper, knock Trey down!"

Whipper raised its tail and with a strong jerk, Trey was thrown on the wall. She knew that with an injury like this he wouldn't have the strength to fight. He stood up and left the room slowly.

Dax was starting to wake up for good and sat up.

"What, what happened?" he asked confused

Jinja was smiling at him "Let's just say that I got rid of some bugs"

Dax seemed to understand "Let me guess... STORM found where we are"

She nodded and felt like it was time for them to go "Do you think you can walk?"

"I can walk but I'm not that sure about you"

Jinja felt dizzy with every step she took, but she didn't want to worry Dax.

"Of course I can walk, what makes you believe I…" Jinja was stopped by a sharp pain "…can't"

Dax gave her a serious look "Come on Princess you can't fool me."

Jinja started to walk towards the metallic door with all her energy to convince Dax about her healthy "I'm not trying to fool you! That's it we are leaving right now and I don't want to hear…"

Jinja's voice faded and she was ready to faint when Dax ran and caught her

"Whoa, there Princess, slow down a lil' bit!" He helped her sit down "I'll go find something for your lil' head, I'll be back in a sec."

Dax picked up the first-aid kid where Jinja had found the alcohol.

He tied the bandage around Jinja's forehead with short and experienced moves of a doctor "That will help you with your headache"

"Wow, thanks Dax. I don't feel a thing" Jinja said, quite impressed from Dax's knowledge

He helped Jinja walk to the door "Now let's get going shall we?"


	12. The five musketeers

CHAPTER TWELVE: THE FIVE MUSKETTERS

Jinja and Dax were walking throughout a forest; Jinja's head was okay now and Dax's chest was much better. They were following the path for hours, when they finally arrived at the city. The two teens saw STORM'S hovercrafts leaving. Chase, Bren and Beyal were holding their cores and it was obvious that they had won in a tough battle with the Elites.

Jinja started walking to them "Missed me?"

Chase's eyes lit up when he saw Jinja. He ran towards her, laughing

"Jin! You're alive!"

He lifted her up and turned her around

"Hey!" Jinja complained, but she was laughing too. Chase put her down but he was holding her so tight she couldn't see his face.

"I was thinking of the worst, Jin"

"Nice to see you too, Chase"

Bren hugged Jinja and Chase "Yay! The three musketeers, back together!"

"Can a fourth member fit in your group hug?" Beyal asked

Bren and Jinja made a gap and Beyal hugged both of them

"Oh great, sure! Celebrate for Jinja's life since no one cares about me" Dax complained but he couldn't hide how glad he felt about seeing his friends again. He opened his long hands and everyone fell into his hug-he looked like a big brother to them.

"What happened?" Bren asked

Jinja's eyes blurred and her smile fell off her face "Leo was working for Klipse. He wanted to turn me into a half-Monsuno like Jon Ace."

"I'm very sorry for you Jinja" Beyal said

"How did you escape?" Chase asked

"Let's just say I had a little help" Jinja said, and looked at Dax

"So now what?" Dax asked quickly, he wanted to avoid any questions

"We will stay here, and leave tomorrow morning" Chase stated

"Can we stay a little longer Chase? It's so nice in the beach!" Bren begged his best friend

"Sorry B, but now both EKLIPSE and STORM know our location" Chase answered "It's too dangerous to stay for longer"


	13. The final countdown

AUTHORS NOTE:

Hi! So this is the final chapter of Safe and Sound. I'd like to thank you SOOOOOO much for reviewing, I still can't believe I have so many reviews! Your support means so much to me so thanks to everyone who kept on reading! It was my first fanfiction ever and you have no idea how much effort I have put on this! I hope I responded to all of your requests! I would like to thank especially:

JinjaGirl25 and Glowblade 998: Thanks so much for reading and reviewing!

Lakota1172: Thanks so much for everything good you have said you really helped me with this story!

MusicLover3: Your reviews had been really fun of reading! I don't think you're a weirdo, I am a huge DxJ fan as well and thanks so much for reading and reviewing!

So thanks again and I will see you in my next fanfiction!

P.S: Please tell me if you liked the ending!

CHAPTER THIRTEEN: THE FINAL COUNTDOWN

It was evening. The Core-Tech team decided to take a nap, but Dax just couldn't sleep. Terrifying pictures were haunting his mind. He sat up and looked around. Chase and Bren were sneering, Beyal was sleeping quietly and Jinja…Jinja was missing. He run down the stairs and headed to the beach.

His sight spotted Jinja; she was siting a few meters from the waves.

He sat next to her "Can't sleep?"

"Yeah. I'm sure that if I sleep, I will have nightmares" she replied

Dax nodded in understanding "I already have some"

"I can't believe I was so naïve!" Jinja sighed

"Don't be so hard with yourself, anyone would believe Leo. Even I almost did and I'm the most suspicious man in the world!"

"No, I should have believed you from the start"

Dax chuckled "Yeah, you should. Thanks for the kiss by the way"

Jinja blushed in the memory "I didn't know you remember it, since you were…you know, ready to pass away"

"I would never forget it, Princess, even if I did pass away"

They stayed quiet for a minute and heard the wave's splash on the sand. Jinja was the one who broke the silence:

"You know Dax, for a moment out there I got really scared"

"Come on Princess, you have beaten STORM and EKLIPSE a million times"

"I wasn't scared about the fight"

Dax got confused "Then what were you scared of?"

"I was scared of losing you" Jinja admitted "I still can't believe that you risked your life for me with that bet"

"I told ya. I would never let anyone hurt ya." Dax told her and pressed lightly her nose with his finger "Besides, I should be the one to thank you. Without you I would be dead"

"I wouldn't let you die. If you did, I would probably cry all day long and go back home" Jinja said and put her head on the Lowlander's hip. He played with her hair and she was drawing flowers on the sand. Suddenly Dax's hands stopped moving.

"What's wrong?" Jinja asked and sensed Dax's smile

"I wish I could freeze this moment and live in it forever" Dax said calmly

Jinja couldn't help but blush. She sat up and watched the sunset, making a countdown on her head.

5… They smiled lightly

4…They stared at each other's eyes

3…Their heads got closer

2…Their foreheads united

1…Dax held Jinja's neck and pulled her into a kiss

Jinja closed her eyes and felt Dax's soft lips. A warm, happy feeling had filled her chest. For a minute she had forgotten the world, it was only her and him. His whole body, his whole existence emitted heat, so why should she resist?

When they pulled off, Jinja was at a loss of words

"What was that for?"

Dax smiled "It was supposed to be a 'thank you' kiss"

He leaned near her ear and whispered: "But you and I know that it meant more for both of us"

Dax stood up and started walking "Later Princess"

Jinja lied down and buried her fingers under the golden sand. She wasn't sure about the kiss, she wasn't sure of what she felt. All she knew was that this adventure would be more fun that she expected.

~THE END~


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